Side dumping and load compacting vehicle

ABSTRACT

A trash receptacle including an open top through which trash may be downwardly admitted into the interior of the receptacle. A first sidewall portion of the receptacle is hingedly supported along its upper edge for inward swinging movement of the lower edge thereof toward the opposite sidewall of the receptacle for compacting trash between the first sidewall portion and the opposite sidewall of the receptacle. The opposite sidewall includes a second wall portion also hingedly supported along its upper and lower edge portion but for selective outward swinging movement of its lower edge portion upon inward swinging of the first wall portion for laterally ejecting compacted trash from the receptacle.

United States Patent [72] Inventor [21] AppLNo.

[22] Filed [45} Patented [54] SIDE DUMPING AND LOAD COMPACTING VEHICLE 8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 214/82, 49/113, 214/83.3 s1 1nt.Cl 860p 1/00 [50] Field ofSearch.. 214/82; 49/1 13 [56] v References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,268,290 12/1941 Landis 49/113 X 2,284,661 6/1942 Joy 214/82 2,501,897 3/1950 Guimont 49/113 X 2,731,260 1/1956 Freeman 49/113 X 2,951,600 9/1960 Dempster et a1.... 214/82 2,973,111 2/1961 Dempster et al 214/82 |li- Il 3,349,931 10/1967 Wagner 214/82 3,450,284 6/1969 Diem..... 214/82 X 3,458,067 7/1969 Irwin 214/82 FOREIGN PATENTS 101,049 4/1962 Netherlands 214/82 Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Robert J. Spar Attorneys-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson ABSTRACT: A trash receptacle including an open top through which trash may be downwardly admitted into the interior of the receptacle. A first sidewall portion of the receptacle is hingedly supported along its upper edge for inward swinging movement of the lower edge thereof toward the opposite sidewall of the receptacle for compacting trash between the first sidewall portion and the opposite sidewall of the receptacle. The opposite sidewall includes a second wall portion also hingedly supported along its upper and lower edge portion but for selective outward swinging movement of its lower edge portion upon inward swinging of the first wall portion for laterally ejecting compacted trash from the receptacle.

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SIDE DUMPING AND LOAD COMPACTING VEHICLE The vehicle of the instant invention is illustrated and described hereinafter in one form as comprising a full trailer vehicle and in another fonn as a semitrailer full trailer combination. However, it is to be noted that the trash receptacle need not be supported from a wheeled vehicle chassis and that other types of wheeled vehicle chassis may be utilized to support the receptacle.

The side dumping and load compacting vehicle of the instant invention has been designed to provide a means whereby large quantities of trash may be collected, compacted, transported to a dumping point and readily dumped in an inexpensive manner. The vehicle includes an open top receptacle having a plurality of upper door portions for selectively closing the top of the receptacle and opposite sidewall portions of the receptacle are mounted for swinging movement, one sidewall portion being swingable inwardly and the opposing sidewall portion being swingable outwardly. The bottom wall of the receptacle is upwardly concave and partially cylindrical in configuration and its axis of curvature coincides with the axis of oscillation of the inwardly swingable sidewall portion and the free swinging edge portion of the inwardly swinging sidewall portion closely opposes the upper surface portion of the bottom wall during movement of the inwardly swingable sidewall portion toward the opposite wall portion.

The main object of this invention is to provide a trash receptacle which will be operative to receive trash therein, compact the trash and then dump the trash after the vehicle has been transported to a dumping point.

Another object of this invention is to provide a trash receptacle constructed in accordance with the preceding objects and in a manner such that it may be readily mounted on various vehicles for transportation thereby.

A further object of this invention is to provide a trash receiving, compacting and dumping receptacle which may be readily constructed of various sizes.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enu merated herein is to provide a trash receptacle which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to operate so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively troublefree in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the side dumping and load compacting vehicle of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the vehicle as seen from the left side thereof;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the vehicle as seen from the right side thereof;

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of the vehicle;

FIG. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by section line 5-5 of Figure 2 and with the various swingable wall portions of the receptacle in closed position;

FIG. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view similar to Figure 5 but with the various swingable wall portions of the vehicle in positions angularly displaced from their closed positions;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a second vehicle embodying a modified form of the instant invention;

FIG. 8 is a rear elevational view of the assemblage illustrated in Figure 7 and with the outwardly swingable side wall portions thereof in position swung slightly outwardly from their fully closed positions; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 6 6 but of the modified form of invention illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8.

Referring now more specifically to FIGS. 1-6 of the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a first form vehicle constructed in accordance with the instant invention and which comprises a full trailer including a main frame referred to in general by the reference numeral 14 and a pair of front and rear axle assemblies 16 and 18. The front end of the vehicle 10 includes a towing tongue 20 steerably connected to the wheels of the front axle assembly 16 in any convenient manner and the vehicle 10 further includes a trash receptacle referred to in general by the reference numeral 22 supported from the frame 14.

The receptacle 22 includes front and. rear walls 24 and 26 as well as opposite sidewalls 28 and 30 which are interconnected by means of a bottom wall 32.

The front and rear walls 26 are stationary, but the right hand sidewall 30 includes a portion 34 which is swingable inwardly from a closed position toward the left hand sidewall 28. The upper marginal edge portion of the sidewall portion 34 is supported by a pair of swing arms 36 and the arms 36 have corresponding ends thereof pivotally supported from the front and rear walls 26 by means of pivot fasteners 38. It will be noted that the pivot fasteners 38 are centrally disposed over the bottom wall and it is to be further noted that the bottom wall 32 is upwardly concaved and generally partial cylindrical in configuration with its axis of curvature coinciding with the axis of oscillation of the arms 36. Further, the free swinging edge portion 40 of the sidewall portion 34 closely overlies the upper surface of the bottom wall 32 during inward swinging movement of the lower edge portion of the sidewall portion 34 toward the sidewall 28. Also, the opposite and edges of the sidewall portion 34 are closely embracingly received between the inner surface portions of the opposite end wall 24 and 26.

The receptacle 22 includes a top wall referred to in general by the reference numeral 42 and the top wall 42 includes opposite side doors or flaps 44 and 46 as well as opposite end doors or flaps 48 and 50. The doors or flaps 44, 46, 48 and 50 comprise portions of the top wall 42 when in the closed positions thereof illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings and close the upper open portion of the receptacle 22. The areas of the top wall 42 disposed outwardly of the doors or flaps 44, 46, 48 and 50 define walkways along which workmen may walk during loading and dumping operations of the receptacle 22. The doors or flaps are swingable from the fully closed positions thereof illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings to the open limit positions thereof illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings and are hingedly supported for movement between the open and closed positions by any suitable hinge structures. Further, although the doors or flaps 44, 46, 48 and 50 are manually openable, suitable motor means may be provided for swinging the flaps or doors 44, 46, 48 and 50 between their open and closed positions.

It will be seen from FIG. 6 of the drawings that the left-hand side of the receptacle 22 includes a second hinged sidewall portion 52 as well as a third hinged sidewall portion 54. The sidewall portion 52 is similar to the sidewall portion 34 except that the sidewall portion 52 is swingable outwardly from a fully closed position. The sidewall portion 52 is hingedly supported from the sidewall 28 along its upper marginal edge portion as at 56 by any suitable hinge construction and the sidewall portion 54 is hingedly supported from the sidewall 28 as at 58 by any suitable hinge construction. Further, it maybe seen that the receptacle 22 includes a downwardly and outwardly inclined partition 60 extending downwardly from the left hand side of the open portion of the top wall 42 to the upper marginal edge portion of the sidewall 52. Also, the receptacle 22 further includes an arcuate partition 62 extending downwardly from the right hand edge of the opening defined in the top wall 42 and along whose convex surface a right angled plate portion 64 of the sidewall portion 34 is moved during inward swinging movement of the sidewall portion 34 to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

A pair of extendable fluid motors 66 are pivotally supported from the receptacle 22 as at 68 at the corresponding cylinder end portions of the fluid motor 66 and the free ends of the piston rod portions of the fluid motor 66 are pivotally secured to the sidewall portion 34 as at 70. The fluid motors 66 are of the double-acting type and may be powered by any suitable source of fluid under pressure. Therefore, it may be seen that the motors 66 may be utilized to swing the sidewall portion 34 from its fully closed position illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings to the dumping position thereof illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. Further, a pair of fluid motors 72 have their cylinder end portions pivotally supported from the end walls 24 and 26 as at 74 and their piston rod portions pivotally secured to the corresponding end edges of the sidewall portion 52 as at 76. Also, a pair of fluid motors 78 are provided and have their cylinder end portions pivotally supported from the end walls 24 and 26 as at 80 and their piston rod portion pivotally connected to corresponding ends of a pair of crank arms 82 as at 84, the crank arms 82 being carried by end plates 86 supported from and projecting inwardly from the sidewall portion 54. Accordingly, it will be noted that the sidewall portions 52 and 54 may also be oscillated between their closed position illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings to their open positions illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

In operation, the vehicle may be transported to a trash pickup station by being towed behind any suitable vehicle and with the various wall portions 34, 52 and 54 as well as closure flaps or doors 44, 46, 48 and 50 in the closed position. Then, when it is desirable to place trash within the receptacle 22, the doors 44, 46, 48 and 50 are opened by a workman disposed on top of the receptacle 22 and trash may be dumped into the receptacle 22. Thereafter, the cylinders 66 may be actuated to swing the sidewall portion 34 from the closed position thereof illustrated in FIG. 5 to the inwardly displaced position thereof as illustrated in FIG. 6. During this operation, the sidewall portion 52 is retained in the closed position and the trash disposed within the receptacle 22 is compacted between the sidewall portion 34 and the sidewall portion 52 as the sidewall portion 34 moves inwardly. Then, the sidewall portion 34 may be returned to the closed position thereof illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings whereupon the compacted trash would drop downwardly into the bottom of the receptacle 22. This process of placing trash within the receptacle 22 and then compacting the trash is repeated until the interior of the receptacle 22 is substantially filled. At this point, the receptacle 22 may be transported by the vehicle 10 to a dumping point and the sidewall portions 52 and 54 may be swung to the open positions thereof illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings by the hydraulic cylinder 78 and 72. Thereafter, the hydraulic cylinder 66 may be actuated to cause the sidewall portion 34 to swing inwardly to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. It will be noted that when the sidewall portion 34 is disposed inwardly to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 6 that the lower edge portion of the sidewall portion 34 extends along the left hand edge portion of the bottom wall 32 and the upper marginal edge portion of the dump chute defined by the open sidewall portion 54. Therefore, all trash disposed within the receptacle 22 will readily slide therefrom downwardly along the inner surface portions of the sidewall portions 34 and 54.

Of course, after the load has been dumped from the receptacle 22, the sidewall portions 34, 52 and 54 are again returned to their closed positions illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings. In addition to the vehicle 10 being adaptable to receive, compact and transport trash, other low-density bulk materials may also be handled by the receptacle 22. Further, it is also to be understood that by reinforcing various portions of the receptacle 22 it may also be utilized for hauling and dumping relatively high-density bulk materials.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIGS. 7-9 of the drawings, there may be seen a second vehicle referred to in general by the reference numeral 110 and which includes attractor portion 112, a semitrailer portion 114 and a full trailer portion 116. The semitrailer 114 includes a rear tandem axle assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 118 and the full trailer includes a front dirigible axle assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 120 and a fixed rear axle assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 122. The dirigible front axle assembly 120 includes a forwardly projecting tongue portion 124 whose forward end is coupled to the rear end of the semitrailer 110 as at 126.

As will be hereinafter more fully set forth, the body or trash receiving portion of the semitrailer 110 comprises what may be generally considered two of the body sections utilized on the full trailer 116, although each of the front and rear body sections of the semitrailer 110 is not quite as long as the body of the full trailer 116.

Nevertheless, the following description of the vehicle 110, as to the various body portions thereof, may be considered as applying to both the single body section of the full trailer 116 and the double body section of the semitrailer 114.

Each body section comprises a trash receptacle referred to in general by the reference numeral 128 including front and rear walls 130 and 132 interconnected by means of a curved bottom wall 134 corresponding to the bottom wall 132 and opposite sidewalls 136.

A portion 138 of the right-hand sidewall 136 is supported by means of a pair of swing arms 140 from the opposite end walls 130 and 132 for inward swinging movement from the solid line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 9 of the drawings to the phantom line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 9. The sidewall portion 138 corresponds to the sidewall portion 34 and includes a lower free swinging marginal edge portion which closely overlies and moves along the upward concave arcuate surface of the curved bottom wall 134. A pair of fluid cylinders 142 are connected between stationary portions of the right-hand sidewall I36 and the outer surface of the sidewall portion 138 and are thereby operative to swing the sidewall portion 138 between the phantom and solid line positions thereof illustrated in FIG. 9. Further, the receptacle I28 includes a right-hand top wall portion 144 also supported from the swing arms 140 as well as the sidewall portion 138 and which swings with the latter from the solid line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 9 of the drawings to the phantom line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 9 during inward swinging movement of the sidewall portion 138. The inner marginal edge portion of the top wall portion 144 has a swingable closure flap 146 hingedly secured thereto by means of a hinge assembly 148 and the closure flap includes a prop 150 which is hingedly supported therefrom as at 152 and may be utilized to support the closure flap 146 in the open position thereof illustrated in FIG. 9 of the drawings. Of course, the top wall portion 144 swings downward and toward the left-hand sidewall 136 of the receptacle 128 when moving toward the phantom line position thereof illustrated in FIG. 9 and is therefore also capable of compacting trash disposed within the receptacle 128. Further, the left-hand sidewall 136 includes an outwardly swingable sidewall portion 154 which corresponds to the wall portion 52 and is hingedly supported from the stationary lefthand sidewall 136 by means of a hinge assembly 156. In addition, the receptacle 128 includes a third hinged sidewall por tion 158 which corresponds to the sidewall portion 54 and is hingedly supported from the left-hand marginal edge portion of the bottom wall 134.

A horizontal transfer channel-shaped guide 160 is stationarily supported from the rear wall 132 and has a follower 162 slidably engaged therewith for guided movement therealong. The follower 162 is secured to the outer extendable end of the piston rod portion 164 of a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 166 and a pair of connecting links 168 and 170 are connected between the follower I62 and the sidewall portions 154 and 158, respectively. Accordingly, both the sidewall portions 154 and 158 may be swung between their open and closed positions by means of the hydraulic cylinder 166. Of course, two hydraulic cylinders 166 are provided at opposite ends of the receptacle 128 in order that the necessary forces to open and close the sidewall portions 154 and 158 may be applied to the opposite end edge portions thereof.

The above referred to specific structural features of the receptacle 128 are also a part of the semitrailer 114 except that the latter is divided into individual closely spaced end aligned receptacles corresponding to the receptacles 128. Accordingly, the semitrailer 114 is provided with two inwardly swingable sidewall portions 138 and the required hydraulic cylinders 142 therefor and also a pair of sidewall portions 154 as well as a pair of sidewall portions 158 and the associated hydraulic cylinders 166.

In any event, it may be seen that the operation of the vehicle 110 is substantially identical to the vehicle except that only one set of hydraulic cylinders 166 is required to operate each of sidewall portions 154 and 158. Further, inasmuch as the top wall portion 144 is mounted for downward and inward swinging movement with the sidewall portion 138, there is no need for the right angled plate portion 64 on the sidewall portion 34 or the arcuate partition in the receptacle 22. Also, the various fluid motors may be either hydraulic or air actuated, or electric motors may be used as substitutes for any or all of the fluid motors.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A trash receptacle including side and end walls interconnected at their lower marginal edge portions by means of a bottom wall having an upwardly opening partial cylindrical upper surface, means hingedly supporting one of said sidewalls for inward swinging movement of the lower marginal edge portion thereof toward the other sidewall about a generally horizontal axis extending between said end walls and disposed centrally intermediate upstanding planes containing said sidewalls with said axis at least generally coinciding with the center axis of said partial cylindrical upper surface, said other sidewall including at least an upper portion hingedly supported from said receptacle along its upper marginal portion about a second axis generally paralleling the first-mentioned axis and for outward swinging movement of the lower marginal edge portion of said upper portion of said other wall, means operative to releasably secure said other sidewall upper potion in a closed position, motor means operatively drivingly connected to said one sidewall for controllably swinging said one sidewall toward and away from the other sidewall, said one sidewall including a partial top wall portion extending therealong and projecting inwardly from the upper marginal edge portion of said one sidewall, whereby inward swinging movement of said one sidewall toward the other sidewall when the latter is closed to compact a load between said sidewalls will not result in the upper portion of a load being compacted between said sidewalls being cammed up and over the upper edge of said one sidewall.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said receptacle comprises a body portion of a wheeled vehicle.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said other sidewall includes a lower wall portion adjoining but below said wall upper portion whose lower marginal edge is hingedly supported from said receptacle for outward and downward swinging of the upper edge portion thereof relative to said receptacle toward a position with said lower wall portion extending downwardly and outwardly from said other sidewall of said receptacle as chute for compacted trash being ejected from said receptacle.

4. The combination of claim 3 including an elongated horizontal transverse guide supported :from said receptacle, a follower mounted on said guide for movement therealong, motor means operatively connected between said receptacle and said follower for shifting the latter along said guide, and a pair of connecting links having one pair of corresponding ends thereof pivotally secured to said follower and the other pair of corresponding ends pivotally supported from the free swinging edge portions of said upper and lower wall portions.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said receptacle includes a top wall structure including stationary longitudinal peripheral portions defining an opening therebetween through which trash may be passed downwardly into said receptacle, said partial top wall portion being disposed beneath the corresponding peripheral portion of said top wall structure.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said peripheral portions include hinged closure portions swingable from closed positions with the free swinging edge portions of said hinged closure portions swung toward each other and open positions with the free swinging edge portions of said hinged closure portions being upwardly divergent and forming a downwardly tapering funnel for trash to be dumped into the top of said receptacle.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said motor means includes a plurality of upstanding cylinders having their upper ends pivotally supported from the side of said receptacle closed by a said one sidewall for oscillation about a horizontal longitudinal axis extending along an upper portion of said side of said receptacle, the lower end portions of said cylinders being pivotally supported to said one sidewall centrally intermediate the upper and lower marginal edge portions thereof and at points spaced generally equally along said one sidewall.

8. The combination of claim 3 including separate motor means operatively connected between said receptacle and said upper and lower portions of said other sidewall for swinging said upper and lower portions between their open and closed positions. 

1. A trash receptacle including side and end walls interconnected at their lower marginal edge portions by means of a bottom wall having an upwardly opening partial cylindrical upper surface, means hingedly supporting one of said sidewalls for inward swinging movement of the lower marginal edge portion thereof toward the other sidewall about a generally horizontal axis extending between said end walls and disposed centrally intermediate upstanding planes containing said sidewalls with said axis at least generally coinciding with the center axis of said partial cylindrical upper surface, said other sidewall including at least an upper portion hingedly supported from said receptacle along its upper marginal portion about a second axis generally paralleling the first-mentioned axis and for outward swinging movement of the lower marginal edge portion of said upper portion of said other wall, means operative to releasably secure said other sidewall upper potion in a closed position, motor means operatively drivingly connected to said one sidewall for controllably swinging said one sidewall toward and away from the other sidewall, said one sidewall including a partial top wall portion extending therealong and projecting inwardly from the upper marginal edge portion of said one sidewall, whereby inward swinging movement of said one sidewall toward the other sidewall when the latter is closed to compact a load between said sidewalls will not result in the upper portion of a load being compacted between said sidewalls being cammed up and over the upper edge of said one sidewall.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said receptacle comprises a body portion of a wheeled vehicle.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said other sidewall includes a lower wall portion adjoining but below said wall upper portion whose lower marginal edge is hingedly supported from said receptacle for outward and downward swinging of the upper edge portion thereof relative to said receptacle toward a position with said lower wall portion extending downwardly and outwardly from said other sidewall of said receptacle as chute for compacted trash being ejected from said receptacle.
 4. The combination of claim 3 including an elongated horizontal transverse guide supported from said receptacle, a follower mounted on said guide for movement therealong, motor means operatively connected between said receptacle and said follower for shifting the latter along said guide, and a pair of connecting links having one pair of corresponding ends thereof pivotally secured to said follower and the other pair of corresponding ends pivotally supported from the free swinging edge portions of said upper and lower wall portions.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said receptacle includes a top wall structure including stationary longitudinal peripheral portions defining an opening therebetween through which trash may be passed downwardly into said receptacle, said partial top wall portion being disposed beneath the corresponding peripheral portion of said top wall structure.
 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said peripheral portions include hinged closure portions swingable from closed positions with the free swinging edge portions of said hinged closure portions swung toward each other and open positions with the free swinging edge portions of said hinged closure portions being upwardly divergent and forming a downwardly tapering funnel for trash to be dumped into the top of said receptacle.
 7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said motor means includes a plurality of upstanding cylinders having their upper ends pivotally supported from the side of said receptacle closed by a said one sidewall for oscillation about a horizontal longitudinal axis extending along an upper portion of said side of said receptacle, the lower end portions of said cylinders being pivotally supported to said one sidewall centrally intermediate the upper and lower marginal edge poRtions thereof and at points spaced generally equally along said one sidewall.
 8. The combination of claim 3 including separate motor means operatively connected between said receptacle and said upper and lower portions of said other sidewall for swinging said upper and lower portions between their open and closed positions. 